Showing posts with label autumn 2015. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autumn 2015. Show all posts

Before winter comes...

At the end of fall like this, nothing makes me happier than having sunny days.


here come the sun...

Sungguh, hal sederhana seperti menikmati hangatnya sinar matahari di wajah bisa menjadi kemewahan yang mahal harganya saat musim dingin datang menyapa.


A few last weekends, New York City and the surrounding areas were blessed with balmy weather. My kinda weather :).


Tanpa ba-bi-bu, saya, Udi et anak-anak sudah sepakat untuk menikmati udara hangat ini di luar. Memanjakan 4 pasang kaki gatal dan tangan iseng yang bawaannya foto ke sana ke sini. A weekly dose of nature's wonders, I call it. Bon.. Pourquoi pas? 


Dan meskipun banyak tempat yang belum kami jelajahi di belantara New York City yang terkadang memekakkan telinga, kami lebih tertarik untuk menyusuri Hudson River. Ceritanya We're in a New York state of mind :), kalau kata Om Billy Joel #cieciecie #gegayaan. Sooo.. Long story short, Udi and I pinpointed the surrounding areas which are worth a visit.

And this time, Yonkers came out of the map :). Using Trip Advisor as our guide, the number 1 on the list in this area is Untermyer Parks and Garden, while the next one is Hudson River Museum.  The review says it's lovely but need more tender loving care. Well, let's find out!

About 45 minutes drive, we arrived at our destination.

And as I set my eyes on this gated garden, I fell in love with this Persian-style mixed with Grecian elegance. Perfected with the bella vista of the Hudson River. Tres maqnifique!

I know.. Extra maintenance will be more than welcome but even at its present state, the park is a beautiful spot that worth a visit.

We strolled around the covered park and no doubt we took tons of pictures. The Grecian temple, the couple of sphinxes on top of the marble columns, marbled mosaics, the vista, the temple of love, and more. Of which, if you don't mind,  I will share in the next post.

But another interesting part of our journey at that day was the trekking. 



We were practically the only groups in the woods that day. And how happy we were spending our time sitting on top of the piles of leaves, positioning our camera on the dirt and taking pictures. In the middle of the pathway :)







Aaah..kalau sudah begini bahagia memang sederhana.
Bisa menghabiskan waktu bersama keluarga tercinta, tertawa lepas di alam terbuka, saling membantu menyemangati kala hiking sudah mulai menghabiskan nafas, dan santai duduk di atas tanah lembab yang penuh dengan dedaunan menikmati indahnya sekitar. 

posing before the Hudson River at the back
Speaking of dedaunan, I was also on a special mission at that time.  Collecting some dried leaves for my dearest friend, Siti Hairul Dayah.

                                     
a special package..

I know fall folliage is probably over but its beauty lingers and I want to capture that and send this special package to Mak Irul. There, on the other side of the world, in a hot, humid, yet magnificent Jogjakarta, lives a great family that I adore. For being so modest, for being so real, and highly committed. 

Bagaimana tidak... Mbak Irul, panggilan sayang Siti Hairul Dayah, dikarunia 6 orang putra putri. Dan semuanya homeschooling. Itu juga yang membawa perkenalan kami pertama saat menjadi salah satu finalis Srikandi Blogger KEB. Homeschooling...mungkin banyak yang sudah tidak asing mendengarnya dan banyak yang sudah menerapkannya pula. Di tengah hiruk pikuk dunia pendidikan saat ini, saya mengerti sekali mengapa banyak yang memutuskan untuk mengajarkan langsung pada anak-anaknya hal-hal penting yang akan menjadi bekali mereka kelak di masa depan. Untuk itu saya salut dengan Mba Irul. Butuh dedikasi tinggi, disiplin luar biasa, dan kreatifitas yang tidak putus untuk bisa memastikan anak-anak menikmati dan terus berkembang lewat homeschooling. I got to admit I guess I won't beat that. Dan saya menikmati berbagai proses yang dilalui anak-anak Mba irul untuk terus memicu potensi diri dan membangun karakter mereka lewat catatan si emak. Mulai dari trip ke pantai, blusukan, sampai pencak silat dan masak bareng :). Thanks for sharing it yaaa mbak :)

ini dia Mba Irul dan kesayangannya...punten saya ambil dari blog Mba Irul http://catatansiemak.com langsung :)

Well... Benar kan...keindahan alam  bisa membawa kita menjalin silahturahmi dan belajar banyak. Selembar daun bisa membuat perjalanan biasa menjadi seru bersama keluarga :). Sederhana..tapi semuanya membuat kami makin memahami makna keluarga dan juga mengingatkan kita betapa luar biasa ciptaan-Nya. Alhamdulillaaaah...

Stay blessed, people :)



Look up and smile...

Feeling so blessed and grateful about everything in your life is easy..

Go out there...
Just look up and smile...

And the blue sky will smile back at you...

Astoria Park....in lovely afternoon..

thank you for this wonderful time of the year..




the sky..

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the beautiful shades of sky in many parts of the world..



Look up and smile...

Feeling so blessed and grateful about everything in your life is easy..

Go out there...
Just look up and smile...

And the blue sky will smile back at you...

Astoria Park....in lovely afternoon..

thank you for this wonderful time of the year..




the sky..

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the beautiful shades of sky in many parts of the world..